How do you follow up a quote you have sent?
Every quote you send needs an owner, a next step written down with a date, and a validity date before which you ask again. In a CRM that means seeing whether the customer opened it, and being reminded before it expires.
Updated:
Following up one quote
- Send the quote with a validity date, and name its owner.
- Write down a call-back task for two or three working days later straight away.
- Check whether the customer opened it: if so, ask what is missing for a decision.
- If they ask for changes, send a new revision rather than overwriting the first.
- Before it expires, one last short question: is it still on, or shall we close it?
- On acceptance, invoice it; on rejection, record the reason.
Why do quotes that were sent get lost?
Rarely because it was poor: far more often because the customer had not decided and nobody asked. The quote sits in the sender's mailbox, the call-back is not written down, and by the time someone remembers, the customer has ordered elsewhere.
So a quote is not done when it has gone out, but when it has been accepted or turned down. Until then it is an open item with an owner and a next step.
When and how should you ask?
Details
- After two or three working days a short call or email: did it arrive, are there questions.
- Do not ask whether they have decided; ask what is still missing for a decision.
- If they are comparing with another quote, ask what the difference is.
- One last question before it expires, so the quote does not lapse in silence.
How does HelloCRM help with this?
Details
- The customer opens and accepts the quote from a link; the first opening is stamped, so the colleague sees it landed.
- The owner of a sent quote is reminded three days before its validity ends.
- A changed quote is a new revision, and the earlier one stays.
- Acceptance and rejection can start an automation, a task or a thank-you mail for example.
- Once accepted, the quote becomes an invoice in one click, with invoicing switched on.
Which module?
Module: Quotes (paid module, price coming soon).
Questions
How many times should I ask about a quote?
Usually twice is enough: once a few days after sending, once before it expires. If there is still no answer, close it as lost and note the reason if you know it.
Can I see whether the customer opened the quote?
Yes: in HelloCRM the first opening of the quote's link is recorded on the quote.
What should a quote contain so there is less chasing?
A validity date, a clear amount net and gross, what is not included, and how to accept it. The quote template guide goes through the parts.